Most likely, everything you know about Robert Frost’s most famous poem, “The Road Not Taken,” is wrong. Most of us know only the last three lines of the poem: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. You can read the whole poem here. Most people think of this poem as inspirational schmaltz—a brave, inspired anthem of individuality and willingness to go against the crowd. Perhaps... Read more
Before I came to Patheos, I heard blogger Leah Libresco’s story of conversion from atheism to Catholicism. I was impressed by her intelligence, her dedication to her newfound faith, and her sincerity. Even though I am Protestant and not Catholic, I was excited to have the chance to review Libresco’s book, Arriving at Amen: Seven Catholic Prayers That Even I Can Offer. We may come to faith in Christ through different traditions, but as members of the small-c “catholic” (universal)... Read more
While in Seattle last week, I had the opportunity to visit the Seattle International Film Festival and see a moving African film. Beats of the Antonov celebrates how music enables human beings in severe straits to be resilient and joyful. Director Hajooj Kuka has made a film about a besieged community that is fresh, visceral, and alive. In Sudan’s Nuba Mountains, right at the border between Sudan and South Sudan, the people of the Blue Nile are daily threatened by the... Read more
Earlier this month, I reviewed Debra Hirsch’s helpful book Redeeming Sex. I was left with more questions after reading it, so I approached her to ask for an interview. She was kind enough to reply and offer some further insights. Rebecca: Can you help my Christian readers understand the idea of communal repentance? Whether in regard to relationships with racial minorities or with the LGBT community, this idea seems to be a sticking point. I’m not sure why but many... Read more
This weekend in downtown Seattle, I forgot the most important thing about talking to angry people (especially strangers): they aren’t usually angry at me. They are angry because of the story that they’ve lived. If I can get to the story, I can get to the root of why they are so angry. Sometimes this can be done quickly, and sometimes it takes a long time. My husband and I were on a tenth anniversary trip to Seattle last week.... Read more
Streaming on Netflix right now is a moving documentary about Father Greg Boyle, a Jesuit priest who is the founder and executive director of Homeboy Industries. Homeboy Industries is the most successful gang intervention program in the country. The 2012 film is called G-Dog (Father Boyle’s nickname). I write a lot about the things that need reformation in Christianity. But it’s equally important to write about the things that are right, the ways that ordinary, imperfect Christians display the love... Read more
Rachel Held Evans wrestles with the Church and with faith and she does it publicly. This makes some people uncomfortable, but it uniquely positions her as a Christian messenger in the postmodern era. In Evans’s new book, Searching for Sunday, she gives us artful meditations, grounded in church history and tradition, reaching to postmodern seekers today. Evans has landed in an Anglican church for now, but she still views her roots in the evangelical church with gratitude. A work of... Read more
Dear police officers: I feel like this needs to be said. I’ve spent plenty of time talking about white privilege, systemic racism, and instances of police brutality. Those issues are real and desperately need to be dealt with. We must not turn a blind eye to these issues. But at the same time, I think sometimes I forget simply to say thank you to you, the brave souls who do put their lives on the line each and every day... Read more
I opened my review copy of Debra Hirsch’s Redeeming Sex: Naked Conversations about Sexuality and Spirituality with trepidation. Would this just be one more awkward Christian book about sex? Would I want to throw it across the room? Would I be uncomfortable to write about it? The discussion of the intersection of sexuality and Christianity is littered with minefields. What’s been missing, oftentimes, is an approach to sexuality that is able to function in a bridge-building way. What I appreciated... Read more
I’m going to make an embarrassing admission. I did not really understand the deep concerns of the black community in America until last summer. I did.not.get.it. The circumstances swirling around the death of Trayvon Martin began to open my eyes, but I was still awash in the fish bowl of my white culture. It was the context I knew and the context I could see, and I doubted whether another context existed. In many ways, I grew up believing in... Read more
Rebecca Florence Miller
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